Maria Diane Ventura

Maria Diane Ventura
Born	Manila, Philippines
Occupation(s)	Director, writer, producer
Years active	2011–present

Maria Diane Ventura is a Filipino-American filmmaker. ^{[1] [2] [3]} She is known for her documentary film Eraserheads: Combo on the Run and feature Your Color (Deine Farbe). ^{[4] [5]}

Life and career

Ventura was born in Manila, Philippines. She pursued filmmaking, attending a film class at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and studying at the London Film Academy. ^[6] She founded DVent Productions, a New York-based multimedia company focused on music videos, films, and concerts. ^[7]

Ventura began her filmmaking career with the 2011 short film TheRapist, starring Cherie Gil and Marco Morales, which premiered at the Cinemanila International Film Festival and depicts a psychologist assessing an accused rapist. ^{[8] [9]} Her feature film debut, Awaken (Mulat) (2014), is a romantic drama starring Jake Cuenca and Loren Burgos about a young woman's self-discovery, released on platforms like iflix and Amazon Prime. ^{[10] [11]} Her first international film, Your Color (Deine Farbe) (2019), is a socio-political drama and coming-of-age story starring Jannik Schümann and Nyamandi Adrian about two childhood friends in Berlin and Barcelona, filmed in Germany and Spain, which premiered at the Hof International Film Festival. ^{[12] [13]}

Ventura produced the Eraserheads’ “Huling El Bimbo” reunion concert in 2022, which drew over 75,000 attendees, and released Eraserheads: Combo on the Run , a documentary about the band’s journey to that concert, which had its U.S. premiere at the San Diego Comic-Con and screened at the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival before its theatrical release through Warner Bros. in 2025. ^{[14] [15]}

Personal life

Ventura was married to Filipino rock musician Ely Buendia, formerly of the Eraserheads. ^[6]

Filmography

Year	Film
		Director	Writer	Producer	Notes
2011	TheRapist	Yes	Yes	Yes	Short film
2015	Awaken (Mulat)	Yes	Yes	Yes
2019	Your Color (Deine Farbe)	Yes	Yes	Yes
2025	Eraserheads: Combo on the Run	Yes	Yes	Yes	Documentary

References

1. "Filipina director reaps 22 int'l awards for European masterpiece". philstar.com. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
2. "Filmmaker Diane Ventura, Ely Buendia say Eraserheads docu is reclaiming of narrative". rappler.com. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
3. "Pinay filmmaker Maria Diane Ventura makes international directorial debut". abs-cbn.com. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
4. "The Heads Behind The Eraserheads: Combo On The Run Documentary". billboardphilippines.com. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
5. "Filipino filmmaker Maria Diane Ventura's award-winning film 'Deine Farbe (Your Color)' to premiere in the PH". gmanetwork.com. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
6. "Passionate perseverance: 'Deine Farbe' director Maria Diane Ventura's path to her 'first love'". entertainment.inquirer.net. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
7. "Maria Diane Ventura's Eraserheads Documentary 'Combo on the Run' Hits Cinemas Nationwide March 21". abs-cbn.com. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
8. "TheRapist trailer disapproved by MTRCB for public exhibition". philstar.com. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
9. "Short film TheRapist stars Cherie Gil and Marco Morales". pep.ph. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
10. "'Mulat' filmmaker Maria Diane Ventura: "Who would've thought an immigrant woman could have her films distributed globally?"". nme.com. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
11. "Jake Cuenca announces showing of award-winning film 'Mulat' in US and UK". lifestyle.inquirer.net. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
12. "Your Color (Deine Farbe)". filmthreat.com. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
13. "YOUR COLOR by Maria Diane Ventura launches on Amazon". hofer-filmtage.com. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
14. "Eraserheads close historic 'Huling El Bimbo' reunion concert with 75,000-strong crowd, announce 2023 world tour". bandwagon.asia. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
15. "Eraserheads' 'Combo On the Run' Doc to Screen at San Diego Comic-Con". rollingstonephilippines.com. Retrieved 2025-09-16.

External links

• Maria Diane Ventura at IMDb